Clothes-tongs



J. M. FLITCRAFT.

CLOTHES TONGS.

APPUCATION FILED MAR.9, 1921.

} 1,397,628, PatentedNov. 22,1921.

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JOHN'M. FLITGRAFT, OF ELKHART, IOWA.

GLOTHES-T'ONGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov.22,1921.

Application filed March 9, 1921. Serial No. 451,020. a U

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. Fnrronarr,

a citizen of the United States, residing at that they may be inserted between the rolls of a wringer; the parts being so arranged that the tongs may be operated by the use of one hand of the operator, and will be normally held open ready for use.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device, parts being broken away and shown in section to better illustrate the construction; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a slightly modified formof my device.

In the accompanying drawings I have used the reference characters A and B to indicate a pair of similar tong members.

The members A and B are designed to have a portion of their surfaces abut against each other, as at 10, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

A stud or pivot member 11 is projected into the abutting surfaces of the members A and B, providing a pivot for permitting a slight pivotal movement of the members A and B relative to each other.

The rear ends of the members A and B are provided with registering grooves 12 in which is received a circular band or spring member 13. The spring member 13 has its ends resting against the sides of the members A and B just rearwardly of the pivot member 11.

The spring member 13 normally holds the two members with their abutting surfaces together and the opposite or forward,

ends of the members A and B spaced from each other. The members. A and B have their forward ends curved as at 1 1 so as to provide sharp points.

Just forwardly of the pivot member 11 I provlde on the tong members A and B handle portions 15. The operator grasps the handle portions 15 of the membersA and B and by tightening his hand causes the forward ends 14 of the membersA and B to be moved toward each other, while the rear ends of thetong members A and B are moved away from each other, against the yielding action of thespring 13.

The abutting surfaces of the members A and B, as at 16 serves as a fulcrum for permitting the movement of the members A and B toward each other at their forward ends, 1

and away from each other at their rear ends, and vice versa.

In order to limit the movement of the forward ends of the members A and B, and to serve as a guide I provide a nail or the like 17 which is fixed in one of the members, while it isslidably mounted in the other member.

The member 17 as shown in Fig. 1, is

fixed in the member A and extended through an opening 18 in the member B. The head of the nail or member 17 limits the movement of the members A and B relative to each other.

I From the construction of the parts just described it will be seen that the spring 13 which is placed in the grooves 12, and the nail or the like 17 prevent any rotary movement of the members relative to each other, or any longitudinal movement; yet permitting movement on the fulcrum 16.

In the form of device shown in Fig. 1 the abutting surfaces 10 also limit the space between the forward ends of the members A and B.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the members A and B with their rear ends slightly spaced from each other.

The forward ends of the members A and B are provided with cleats 19 between which clothes and the like may be gripped. The cleats 19 form gripping members and will always strike against each other even though the members A and B between the fulcrum portion 16 and their extreme forward edges become bowed or warped.

In the form of device shownin Fig. 2-01: the drawings by providing a. nail or the like 17 which may be of various lengths it will permit the opening of the members A and-B I when assembled is very efiicient and substan V tial.

The placing of the spring 13 in the grooves and the holding of the members A and B by means or the nail 17, gives me a very efiicient Way of holding the parts against any undesired movement, and at the same time the nail 17 tends toserve as a guide for causing the forward ends of the members A and B to always strike against each other When the handle portions 15 are gripped and the parts moved against the action of; the

spring 13.

Some changes maybe made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of 'my machine Without departing from the real spiritand purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim, any

modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within its scope.

:1 claim as my invention: A pair of clothes {tongs comprising a pair oi similar members having portions thereof 1 adapted to normally abut against'each other 7 for providing a fulcrum, a] pivot member partially received in the abutting surfaces of said members, the rear ends 01 said memhers being provided with registering grooves, a spring extended around the rear ends of saidmembers and received in said grooves for normally holding the opposite ends of'said pair of members spaced away 40 from each other, and means mounted in one of said members and slidably received in the other ofsaid members forlimiting the move 7 ment of said members relative to eachother,

the parts being so arranged that thesaid last meansand said spring form a guide and reraining means for preventing rotary or longitudi'nal movement of the members relative to} each other, I i i Des Moines,'10vva, February 26, 1921 e JOHN M. FLITCRAFT, 

